Storm Boelo has left a trail of destruction across Scotland after the country was battered by 85mph winds and heavy downpours over the weekend. Coastal towns in Ayrshire were among the worst affected, with flash flooding submerging Main Streets and damaging businesses.
Coastal towns hit by flash flooding
Largs, Saltcoats and Prestwick endured severe flash flooding across Saturday and Sunday, with viral videos showing businesses "ruined" and streets under several feet of water. In Saltcoats, Scottish Fire and Rescue crews were pictured wading through knee-deep water outside the Caledonian Care Home on Monday morning, pumping floodwater back out to sea. Residential streets were swallowed by floodwater, with cars and wheelie bins partially submerged, while locals placed sandbags outside their homes.
In Prestwick, the beachfront was left devastated as the storm ripped apart sections of the promenade, leaving gaping holes where walkways once stood. Workers were photographed clearing piles of bricks and rubble scattered along the seafront after powerful winds destroyed walls. Children's play equipment was cordoned off, and benches overlooking the waterfront were left underwater or overturned.
Deadly impact and power outages
The storm turned deadly when Richard Baines, 60, was killed after being struck by a falling tree near Castle Douglas on Sunday morning. Two women were also injured by another falling tree in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross. A number of schools in the northeast of the country were closed as a result of power outages and storm damage. More than 100,000 people across Scotland lost power over the weekend, with tens of thousands of families still without electricity.
Businesses count the cost
In Largs, Geraldo's, a popular family-run tourist shop, sustained major damage overnight into Sunday. Owner Toni Dawson told the Record: "It's a disaster. Right now we have a huge bin at the front of the shop and I'm just clearing out as much as we can. I'm waiting on a builder and someone else coming to board up the front of the shop because we've got another high tide coming soon. People are shouting at me from all angles."
The Tha-Tien-Thai restaurant in Largs also suffered terrible damage, with huge kitchen appliances strewn around in the water. The owner said it was the third time this year the business had been flooded, but this was the worst damage he had seen. He said: "We can't stay like this anymore. Say we open again in one-two weeks and it floods again in three weeks, it makes no sense. I just got a new freezer on Friday afternoon and now it's damaged." The business posted scenes of their kitchen on Facebook, saying they were "truly devastated", adding: "There is nothing left."
Further warnings and travel disruption
In Edinburgh, images from the A8 at Gogar Roundabout captured highway maintenance workers using a powerful suction pump to clear floodwater from the swamped road. A yellow weather warning is in place across large parts of Scotland from 3am until 9pm on Tuesday, October 27, with forecasters predicting winds up to 70mph in coastal and northern parts. ScotRail has warned commuters to check for cancellations and delays as it announced a speed restriction on some routes.
